Why Elephants Rarely Get Cancer (IMAGE)

University of Utah Health

Why Elephants Rarely Get Cancer

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Joshua Schiffman, M.D., pediatric oncologist at the Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah, has led a study that could explain why elephants rarely get cancer. Published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), the results show that elephants have extra copies of a gene that encodes a well-defined tumor suppressor, p53. Further, elephants may have a more robust mechanism for killing damaged cells that are at risk for becoming cancerous. The findings could lead to new strategies for treating cancer in people.

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University of Utah Health Sciences

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